Mrs. Rinchen Khando was born in Kardze, in eastern Tibet on 22nd March 1946. At the age of seven, she moved to Lhasa, where she learned to read and write Tibetan. In 1958, she went to India and learnt English for one year. In 1959, she along with her family, shifted to Mussoorie, where she graduated from Weinberg-Allan school in 1968. She received her B.A. degree at Loreto College in Darjeeling, India. In 1970, she assumed the role of Secretary of the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress (RTYC), Darjeeling. She is married to Tenzin Choegyal, the younger brother of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and together they have two children. Mrs. Choegyal currently resides in Dharamsala, India. As one of the most eloquent spokespersons for the Tibetan cause, she travels extensively around the world, raising awareness about the challenges faced by Tibetan refugees and emphasizing the importance of preserving Tibetan culture through education.
Her tireless service to the community was recognized in 1997, with conferment of the “Women of Courage Award” from the Women’s Commission on Refugee Women and Children.
As the Director of the Tibetan Nuns Project, she was a founding member of the Tibetan Women’s Association, under whose aegis the Tibetan Nuns Project was established. She served as President of the Association from 1984 until her election to the Tibetan Cabinet in 1994.
She also served as the Minister of Health in the Tibetan Government-In-Exile from 1st February 1993 till 1st August 1993, a post in which she was responsible for overseeing the public health of the Tibetans living in exile in India, Nepal and Bhutan.